A number of ROADMENDER blogs focused on the relationship (explicit or implicit) between innovation and collaboration. How well we recognise this relationship depends a lot on the kind of work we do on a daily basis. Sometimes we may not pay close enough attention to, and thereby potentially miss, fast-moving opportunities. One way or another, sooner or later we all need to adapt. I found a few interesting (and colourful) pieces that may help us to meet the tomorrow.

The world is getting smaller and yet the amount of data needed to keep it that way is virtually impossible to comprehend.  If you have ever wondered how a small aspect of it all might look, you may find this map of of global science collaborations interesting.

Innovation discourse is often implicitly directed towards large enterprises; yet smaller enterprises, in my view, have certain advantages that can be explored with a little extra investment of time and energy into collaborative action to form the basis for innovation. In his post, Open Innovation: Heart of Small Business, Franz Dill directs us to the words of IBM’s John Mason, who writes that new technologies can bridge the gap between an idea and profit.

Next time you are at a networking event and someone introduces themselves as a Microbial Balancer or an Urban Shepherd, be sure not to turn away immediately.  You may be talking to a professional who can determine exactly what your business needs.  In the words of Terry Young, CEO of New York trend-spotting firm Sparks & Honey, “innovation leads to new professions”.  I have settled for the title of Collaboration Strategist for now but in the future Corporate Disorganiser may be more appropriate.  Do any of the jobs mentioned here sound attractive to you? Please share.

Is there any reason why Brisbane can’t make the Top 20? I think it might be an attitude issue more than capacity!  In her August 15 Entrepreneur.com post, Associate Editor Kathleen Davies shares this infographic by financial software company Intuit, which suggests that Silicon Valley may be losing its place on centre stage of the world’s 20 hottest startup cities.

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